


Birthday Surprise

by siobhrag



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Break Up, Friends to Lovers, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 21:50:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21465100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siobhrag/pseuds/siobhrag
Summary: Harry got dumped on his birthday. Severus rushed to help. Something strange happened between them.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 9
Kudos: 279





	Birthday Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Not betaed.  
*trying to conquer higher word count stories*  
*break up is off-screen*

The light pop of Apparition sounded outside the house. Hermione hastily opened the door so that the visitor wouldn’t get soaked by the pouring rain.

“Professor, how good of you to come so quickly!” Hermione moved away from the door to let Snape inside the house. 

Snape brushed off several drops of rain from his pristine navy blue robe. “Miss Granger.” He stepped into the house and looked around.

The usually relatively clean and cosy space now looked cluttered, dirty and uncared for. Severus raised an eyebrow and turned to Hermione.

“How long has he been like this?”

“For a week.” Hermione looked really upset. “He wouldn’t let as come. Ron and Draco had to break the spells on the Floo.” She turned away, biting her lip. With a flick of her wand she banished the pile of torn up newspapers in the corner. 

There was a clutter of footsteps from the stairs leading to the second floor. Ron and Draco were heading down.

“Oh, hello, Professor!” Draco smiled at his former teacher. Even though it has been thirteen years since Snape last taught anyone, Draco still continued to call him that. On many occasions Snape asked Draco to call him by his name, but Malfoy still preferred his old title.

Ron nodded to him gravely. 

Snape looked at this strange company and shook his head in disbelief. Who would have thought that he would become friends with this lot? 

He sighed heavily, dreading the task. It seemed it was his destiny to save Potter from everything and everyone, including Potter himself. 

“Where’s the birthday boy?” Snape asked grimly. 

Ron jerked his head up. “In his room. He wouldn’t let me in.” Ron ruffled his hair nervously. “And I couldn’t break either the door or the spell.” He blushed. 

Snape sneered. “You should have tried harder, Mr. Weasley.” Ron’s blush of embarrassment turned into one of the anger. 

“Right.” Snape removed his outer robe and put it on the back of the nearest chair. 

He walked to the stairs and up to the second floor, where Potter’s bedroom was. Severus sighed again. Leave it to Potter to be in such a mess on his own birthday. 

Severus stopped in front of Potter’s bedroom door and knocked. Nothing.

He knocked again, louder this time.

Something crashed in the room and a muffled voice said, “Go away!”

Severus smirked. At least the brat’s alive. He knocked again.

“I said go away!” This time the answer was louder and angrier.

Severus leaned on the door frame. “As much as I might enjoy this charming conversation through the closed door, Mr. Potter, I would really prefer to see the person I’m talking to.” 

The sounds in the room stilled. After a moment the door opened slightly. Snape pushed it further and entered the room. Potter was laying on the bed, with his back to Snape.

The room was messy, even more so than the rest of the house. The air was stale, several bottles and beer cans were strewn all around the floor. 

Snape wrinkled his nose as the unpleasant smells and went to the window. He opened it, letting the fresh wet air and rain into the room. The cool wind ruffled the curtains and Potter tightened himself into a ball. 

Snape leaned on the table and looked at Potter’s back. 

Even after more than twenty years of knowing Snape, Harry couldn’t stand Snape’s glare. Not even with his back. He turned heavily and sat up. 

Snape tightened his lips at seeing Harry’s face. The brat looked worse than he thought. Potter stared back at Snape for a moment, and then averted his eyes and ruffled his already tousled hair. “Can’t I suffer in peace?” 

Snape snorted. “No, you can’t. Not for a week and not because of something like that.”

Harry’s head snapped up. “Something like that? That was my relationship, Snape. I thought we had something meaningful there…” Harry trailed off, looked down and started picking the threads from the coverlet. 

Snape folded his arms on his chest. “Oh, yes. It was meaningful, alright. If by meaning you imply the bastard’s intentions to get to your vault and use you for his own purposes.” 

Harry tore the thread off the coverlet in surprise. He looked up at Snape in astonishment. “And you would care about that, exactly why?” 

Snape’s cheeks reddened slightly. He looked out the window, catching several droplets of rain on his face. “Well, I don’t particularly like when people I care for are being used for some despicable reasons.” 

“Yeah, right.” Harry plopped back on the bed. “That would be the accurate description of almost every relationship I’ve ever had.” 

Harry sighed and curled back into the ball. He lay there silently for a few moments. Snape watched Harry with concern and wistfulness. 

“Anyway, why are you here, Snape? You’ve already sent your gift and informed everyone that you couldn’t attend my birthday party.” Harry shifted to see Snape. 

Snape shrugged. “Ms Granger sent me a note describing your condition and asked for help.”

Harry made a decent imitation of Snape’s raised eyebrow. “So you left your precious laboratory and potions to save the stupid Harry Potter once again.” Harry snorted at his own wittiness. “Shouldn’t have bothered.” Harry plopped back, spread-eagled. “That would be just my luck, to get dumped by another boyfriend on my birthday.”

Snape sat on the corner of the table. “You were dumped a week ago.”

“That’s practically the same.” Harry was indignant. He suddenly rolled to the edge of the bed and looked under it. He rummaged there for a moment and emerged back up with an unopened beer can. He sat back on the bed and was about to open the can with a determined face, when the can flew out of his hands and out the window.

“Hey! That was my beer!” Harry looked at Snape angrily.

“Yes, it was. And you’ve had enough, as far as I can see.” Snape indicated the mess in the room with a shake of his hand.

“I needed to calm down after reading all the shit the newspapers wrote about me. Again.” Harry’s back slumped. “And this bastard gave them an interview, can you imagine?”

Snape rarely saw Harry so broken. “He told them everything, about us, about me. Everything we did, everywhere we went, and how we bloody fucked, for Merlin’s sake!” Angry tears appeared in Harry’s eyes. “He made me look like a freak.” Harry curled up again.

Snape was getting tired of Harry’s restless movements. He didn’t say anything. He knew what Harry was talking about. He incinerated every issue of the Prophet he received last week. 

Severus went to the bed and sat on the edge. Harry had his back to him and couldn’t see him. 

“You’re not a freak”, he said softly. 

Harry was silent for a moment. “No one would want to get involved with me ever again, after reading all this crap.” 

Severus gripped the coverlet. “I would.” 

He could feel how Harry’s back froze. Potter slowly turned to face him. Severus was looking down, at the wrinkled fabric he had in his hand. 

“What?” Harry asked stupidly. 

Severus gripped the coverlet tighter. “I said I would want to get involved with you.” 

“Why?” Another bewildered question. 

Snape let go of the coverlet and sneered. “Really, why, Potter. To get your nubile young body into my bed, get my filthy hands into your gold and use you for the promotion of my lab.” 

Snape stood up from the bed and went to the window. He gripped his shoulders with his hands and silently berated himself for such stupidity. For ten years he managed to keep his feelings a secret from Potter and now he exposed himself to the brat’s mockery.

Potter was silent. Snape didn’t dare turn to face him. He should leave now, while he still had the remnants of his dignity. 

“I’m thirty today. I’m not so young. I don’t know anything about Potions, so I wouldn’t be of any use in the lab promotion. And you have more gold now than I ever had.” Potter said all of this in a quiet, fascinating voice, as if something was dawning at him. 

Snape straightened his back even more, but still he wouldn’t turn. He heard some rustling. A warm hand touched his shoulder lightly. Snape tensed. 

“Would you really?” Harry whispered softly from behind Snape’s back. 

“Yes.” That was all Snape could manage to say. 

They stood like that for several moments, with Severus feeling the warmth of Harry’s hand on his shoulder.

Then the hand slowly slid lower, to Snape’s waist. Harry’s other hand gingerly touched Snape’s waist from the other side. Together those hands slowly slid forward, meeting in the front, bringing Snape’s back closer to Harry’s chest.

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Now Harry was whispering into Snape’s ear. 

Snape smiled bitterly. “Why would I? Would you really need someone like me, so close?” 

Harry’s grip on Snape’s waist tightened slightly. “Besides, you were never alone long enough. There was always some near you, some… boyfriend.” Snape almost spat the last word. 

Harry stood on tiptoes and put his chin on Snape’s shoulder. “That was really stupid of me. I wasted so much time with some jerks, when I could have had you all this time.”

Snape snorted lightly. “You think too much of yourself, Potter.” 

Harry chuckled. For the first time since his awful break up he felt good. He turned his head a bit and softly kissed Severus’ neck above the high collar. 

Severus shivered. Harry kept his lips near the soft spot. “How long?”

Snape understood the fragmented question. 

“At least ten years.” The answer was barely a whisper. 

Harry inhaled sharply, breathing in the scent of Severus, sandalwood and coffee. 

“Severus…” Harry kissed his neck again. 

Severus gently touched Harry’s hands on his waist. 

Harry slowly slid forward without letting go of Severus. He squeezed himself between the man and the window, setting his arse on a rain-splattered windowsill. Now he could look at Severus’ face.

Now that Harry’s hands were at Severus’ back and he had nothing to hold on to, Severus raised his hand and gently stroked Harry’s cheek. Harry closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. 

“Would you really stay with me?” Harry whispered without opening his eyes.

Severus leaned closer to Harry’s face, almost touching Harry’s lips with his. “Yes.” 

Harry felt Severus’ breath on his lips. His eye flew open. Harry smiled happily and closed the inch between their lips. It was the best kiss in his life. 

Severus held Harry closer, tighter, claiming him with his tongue, caring for him with his arms around Harry’s waist. 

Severus slowly broke the kiss when Harry was ready to faint from happiness (or more likely from the lack of oxygen). 

Harry grinned happily at Severus. “That’s the best birthday I’ve ever had.” 

“Your party haven’t even started yet, Mr. Potter.” Severus smirked and lowered his hand a bit, almost touching Harry’s bottom. 

Harry blushed charmingly and smiled lopsidedly. “Well, you did say something about taking my nubile young body into your bed. I will expect you to keep this promise.”

Severus traced Harry’s lower lip with his thumb. “Oh, rest assured, Mr. Potter, I will.” 

Harry actually laughed. 

Severus let go of Harry’s waist and with a gentle pat to the bum sent him into the general direction of the bathroom. “Go take a shower. You have to see your friends first. They were genuinely worried about you.”

Harry had the decency to blush. He almost made it to the bathroom, when he turned back and rushed to Snape. He grabbed his waist again and pressed his face into Snape’s chest. “You won’t go away, will you?” 

Severus gently caressed Harry’s mop of hair. “Of course not. I’ll wait right here.” He buried his fingers into Harry’s messy hair. 

“Might as well choose you a decent set of clothing.” 

Harry chuckled. “Good luck with that.” He quickly kissed Severus’ cheek and went into the bathroom. 

Severus sat heavily on Harry’s bed and breathed out in relief. It was better than he ever dared to imagine. 

He listened to the sound of water from the bathroom for some time. He then stood up, looked around, took out his wand and with a single sweep cleared out the mess in the room. The bed made itself as well. Severus smirked, looking at it. They would definitely need it tonight. 

He moved to Harry’s wardrobe and opened it. Sighing in desperation he closed it back letting Harry deal with his clothes himself. 

Severus looked around the now clean room. He might need to get used to it. 

He sat in the only chair present in the room, summoned the only book he could see and settled in. 

He could hear faint voices from downstairs. Harry’s friends were certainly curious as to what was happening here, what was taking Snape so long. But he would not go there now.

He would wait for Harry here, just as he promised.


End file.
